Interstitial Lung Disease Center | Hackensack University Medical Center

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is not a single diagnosis but a broad category encompassing over 200 distinct conditions that often cause inflammation or scarring of lung tissue. This diverse group of disorders includes several common forms, such as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP), Connective Tissue Disease-Associated ILD, Drug-Induced ILD, Sarcoidosis, and various Cystic Lung Diseases, each with unique causes and treatment considerations.

At Hackensack Meridian Health, our Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Program provides comprehensive, expert care for patients from initial diagnosis through long-term management. Our integrated, multidisciplinary team brings together leading specialists in ILD, pulmonary hypertension, rheumatology, gastroenterology, dermatology, and infectious diseases to ensure a holistic approach to patient care. The center is involved in clinical trials, cares for patients as their primary pulmonologist or acts as a specialty consult for other pulmonologists in the region (referrals are sent to ILD@hmhn.org). The program was developed by Dr. Aditi Mathur who joined Hackensack Meridian Health after years of working in clinical care and research focused on Interstitial Lung Disease at Yale and Mount Sinai.

Fellows are central to this mission, gaining direct experience managing ILD patients across diverse settings, including the clinic, the pulmonary consult service, and the ICU. A cornerstone of training is the dedicated weekly ILD Fellows' Clinic, where you will learn to establish an accurate diagnosis by synthesizing medical histories, imaging results, lab work, and pathology.

All cases are then discussed at our dynamic, monthly multidisciplinary conference. In this collaborative forum, you will work alongside our team of experts to create personalized treatment and monitoring plans for each patient. Our goal is to graduate highly skilled physicians who are confident and prepared to lead in the complex care of patients with ILD.

ILD experience for Fellows

• Fellows spend substantial time in the ambulatory setting with Dr. Mathur reviewing new and established patients in the ILD center.
• Multi Disciplinary Discussion (MDD) - This is a dynamic monthly meeting during which fellows actively present their clinic and inpatients with ILD to review the radiographic and clinical differential, as well as their treatment plan. Pulmonary, rheumatology and pathology are routinely present at meetings. Second opinions from the Hackensack Meridian Health System as well as across the tri state area are presented for discussion.
• The ILD curriculum consists of 6 foundation lectures specifically designed for fellows, paired with interactive learning cases. The lectures focus on accurate diagnosis and timely treatment for the various ILDs that fellows will then see in their outpatient ILD clinic
• Pathology conference - Multidisciplinary conference to review pathology specimens including cryobiopsies done on patients with undifferentiated ILD.